THIRTEEN DALLAS POLICE OFFICERS SHOT FOUR DEAD AT ANTI-POLICE PROTEST

Downtown Dallas: 13 Officers Shot, 4 Fatally, During Protest of Police-Involved Shootings, Official Says Dallas Police Chief David Brown said three officers are in critical condition, and the shots were fired by two snipers. Gunfire broke out as protesters marched down Lamar Street Thursday night.

Four officers are dead – three Dallas police officers and one DART transit officer – after two snipers opened fire on police at the end of a protest against nationwide officer-involved shootings, officials say.

At least eight other Dallas police officers were hit, including three that are in critical condition; three additional DART officers suffered injuries that were not life threatening in the shooting.

Police are searching for two suspects who opened fire on the officers as the rally drew to a close.

One person is in custody, Dallas police say, following an exchange of gunfire with Dallas SWAT officers late Thursday. Dallas police said a suspicious package was located near that person, and the package is being investigated by bomb squad personnel.

Dallas Police Chief David Brown released the following statement Thursday evening:

“Tonight it appears that two snipers shot ten police officers from elevated positions during the protest/rally. Three officers are deceased, two are in surgery and three are in critical condition. An intensive search for suspects is currently underway. No suspects are in custody at this time. We ask that any citizen with information regarding the shootings tonight call 214-671-3482. We will provide more information once it is available. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers tonight.”

Just before 11 p.m. Brown said an 11th officer was injured in a shootout with one of the snipers.

The ATF and FBI have joined the investigation, and Chief Brown said agents are searching downtown for the possibility that there may be a bomb planted somewhere.

Dallas police released a photo of a man whom they consider a “person of interest” in the shootings. The man, whose identity has not been released, surrendered to police for questioning. A person who identified himself as the brother of the man whose photo was released by Dallas police told NBC 5 that his brother had nothing to do with the shooting.

The gunshots rang out about 9 p.m. following a protest and rally held after two black men were died in police shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota this week.

Scores of police officers arrived downtown following the shooting, which took place along Main Street between and Market and Lamar streets, a block from the Old Red Courthouse building.